The Strongest Kind of Magic
by CharmStone127
Summary: "Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?" She yelled. "You need to mean them, Potter…"  "You do indeed, Bella."


_**Let me know if I should continue this! Please R&R, reviews mean a lot to me!**_  
><em><strong>And add me on Pottermore if you want: CharmStone127 :)<br>**_**  
>Disclaimer: If you recognise it, it was written by the amazing J.K. Rowling. If you don't... it belongs in my crazy world :')<strong>

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><p>"SIRIUS!" Harry was yelling as his Godfather fell to the floor. He tried to run to him, but Lupin caught him and held him back. "SIRIUS!" Harry yelled again, struggling to get free but his former professor held him tight, refusing to let go. Then a cackling laugh rang through the air and Harry turned his attention away from his Godfather's lifeless form, his eyes now seeking the woman with long, dark, unkempt hair, her brown eyes gleaming wickedly. Meeting Harry's glare, her expression changed and she turned quickly, leaving the room. Lupin's grip had relaxed slightly when Harry's attention had swapped to the murderess and so when Harry started to struggle once more, he broke free. He ran after the woman, leaving Lupin staring helplessly after him. He, too, was distraught by the incident. Sirius was the only other marauder left who had not gone over to the dark side, but now he had joined James in death.<p>

"I killed Sirius Black!" The woman cackled as Harry chased her wildly through the atrium of the Ministry.  
>"CRUCIO!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand so that a red jet of light fired at the woman. She fell to the floor, but unlike when Neville Longbottom had been victim of the curse a short while ago, she did not writhe in pain, instead getting to her feet within seconds.<br>"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?" She yelled. "You need to _mean_ them, Potter…"

"You do indeed, Bella."  
>Both Harry and the dark haired witch turned their heads suddenly, looking back in the direction from which they had just run. Their eyes widened at the sight before them. Lupin was standing just in the doorway, supporting a weakened Sirius.<br>"Sirius?" Harry breathed, not daring to believe that his Godfather was alive after all. Sirius nodded, shooting Harry a slight grin.

Before Bellatrix had time to regain her composure, Harry shot another spell at her.  
>"Expelliarmus!" He yelled, running towards Sirius and Lupin as the wand flew from his opponent's hand. He had only just wrapped his arms around his Godfather when he heard a cold voice behind him.<br>"How very touching."  
>Harry turned, clenching his jaw as he saw none other than Voldemort. Bellatrix was laughing again now, her cold cackle echoing around the room. Her snake-like master opened his mouth to speak once more, but a calm, deep voice sounded instead.<br>"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way." _Dumbledore!_  
>If the dark lord was shocked, however, he did not show it. Instead, he turned to face his old headmaster.<br>"By which time I will be gone, and you will be dead." He spat. The second the words left his mouth, both wizards flicked their wands and the jets of light connected neither letting go. Harry briefly noticed Bellatrix make her way to one of the fireplaces and leave, but he wasn't focussing on her; right now, his concern was for his headmaster. The two wizards, locked in battle, were walking whilst they fought, and now Dumbledore was nearer to Harry than Voldemort was.

Voldemort seemed to realise that this could go on forever and quickly broke the connection before sending a fire in the form of a snake towards Dumbledore. The older wizard stared up at it, backing away slightly before flicking his wand at the giant fire demon. Another flick and the fire was thrown back at its creator who extinguished it. A third flick sent water from the fountain in the middle of the atrium towards Voldemort, sweeping him up into a large ball.

Without really thinking, only knowing that he had to help his headmaster, Harry rushed forwards. He was a short distance away when his headmaster flicked his wand at him, knocking him backwards so as to keep him out of the way. He had only let go of the ball for a moment, but that moment had been long enough for Voldemort to break free. He spread his arms wide, and all the glass windows shattered whilst Dumbledore was knocked to the ground. Another move, and the glass was firing at Dumbledore and Harry. The headmaster got quickly to his feet, producing a shield which turned the glass to dust as it passed through. As the dust cleared, Voldemort looked at his opponents, planning his next move. Then he was gone. Harry climbed to his feet, staring at the spot where the wizard had just been, and suddenly there was a searing pain in his scar and he fell to the floor.

"Harry!" Sirius tried to step forwards, but he stumbled before Lupin caught him once more. The two stood silently, hardly noticing as Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna and the other members of the Order joined them. No one spoke as they watched Dumbledore kneel next to Harry's convulsing body.

Harry's mouth opened, speaking words which were not his own.  
>"You've lost, old man." Harry groaned in pain as his worst memories flashed through his mind. His mother trying to save him… Cedric dying…<br>"Harry, it isn't how you are alike. It's how you are not." Harry was briefly aware of his headmaster's voice before he was flooded with pain and memories once more. His mother trying to save him… Cedric dying… Sirius dying… _No!_ Sirius was not dead! He remembered now how he had felt when he saw his Godfather supported by Lupin, and instantly the pain he felt lessened. He managed to move his gaze to where he knew his Godfather and Lupin stood, but was immediately overcome with the torturous memories once more.  
>"Harry." Once again, Dumbledore's voice brought Harry back out of the torture for a fleeting second. But this second was all he needed to catch a glimpse of his headmaster and, behind him, his friends. <em>His friends<em>. The memories of the times he had shared with them pushed away the bad ones.  
>"You're the weak one." He said at last. "And you'll never know love. Or friendship. And I feel sorry for you."<br>The pain surged through him, stronger than before, but almost immediately he pushed aside the memories, replacing them with the ones he knew were stronger. Finally, he felt the pain leave him. He gasped in relief, but as he rolled onto his back he saw Voldemort standing above him.  
>"You're a fool, Harry Potter." The snake-like Lord hissed. "And you will lose everything. His mouth curved into a wicked grin, but then he lifted his eyes, his grin vanishing as the Ministry workers started to appear. The dark Lord vanished, but it was too late.<br>"He's back!" whispered Cornelius Fudge, finally realising that Harry and Dumbledore had been telling the truth the whole time.

Dumbledore helped Harry to his feet and immediately Ginny and Hermione were hugging him, Ron, Neville and Luna standing slightly further back. Dumbledore stepped away from the group and went over to the members of the Order.  
>"Remus, you must take Sirius to St. Mungo's." He held up his hand to silence Sirius, who had opened his mouth to complain. "I am sure you will not have to stay there long." He watched as Lupin supported his friend to one of the fire places from where they promptly disapparated. He turned now to the others. "You will accompany the students back to my office at Hogwarts. I need to discuss some matters with our Minister." They nodded and gathered up the small group of students, leading them all into another fireplace. Within seconds, they had left the Ministry and were standing in the headmaster's office. No one spoke; all were too shocked after what had happened.<p>

Minutes later, Dumbledore joined them.  
>"You have all shown exceptional bravery tonight. I am proud to call you my Army." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the students, before he turned to the members of the Order. "Please, accompany them back to their dormitories. Except Harry." He watched as the others left and then turned to the 15 year old boy. "Love really is the most powerful weapon, Harry." He said softly, as he took a seat. Harry nodded.<br>"When I thought of my friends… it was like he couldn't bear to be in my mind."  
>"Yes, love is something he does not understand. And for someone who does not understand it, love is terrifying. You cannot see why someone would care so much for another."<br>They were silent for a moment, but at last Harry spoke, voicing the question he had been wondering for quite some time now.  
>"Professor, how is it that Sirius…"<br>"Is still with us?"  
>Harry nodded.<br>"Ah you see Harry, that yet again comes down to a form of love."  
>"But Professor, Bellatrix hates Sirius…"<br>"Yes. But do you know what you must do for an Unforgivable Curse to really work, Harry?"  
>"You need to mean them." Harry repeated exactly what Bellatrix had told him earlier.<br>"Yes. And although there is no apparent love between the two, and I do not doubt that neither would mourn the others' death… they are family. And to use an Unforgivable Curse on one's family is far more difficult than it is to use it on anyone else. As so many dark wizards do, she underestimated the power of love and of family bonds. Of course, it is possible to kill one's family, but it would require more effort than she put into it."  
>Harry nodded slowly as he understood the words his headmaster was speaking.<br>"It is late, and I daresay you are tired from the evening's events. I suggest you get a good night's sleep." Dumbledore stood, and Harry copied. Silently, the two returned to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She swung open immediately on sight of the headmaster, and Harry entered. Inside the common room, he was immediately embraced by Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville.

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><p><em><strong>Yeah, so I basically just hated that Sirius died :( So imagined how that bit could have been if he hadn't. As I said at the start, let me know if I should continue and I'll work my way through the series with Sirius there :) Thank you me lovelies!<strong>_


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